NAVY LEAGUE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 August 1941, Page 7

NAVY LEAGUE

WORK IN SUPPLYING COMFORTS

FOR MEN IN SERVICES.

LETTER OF APPRECIATION.

An appreciation of the work of the Navy League in supplying comforts for men in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve and others joining the Fleet Air Arm is contained in a letter recovered by Mr R, Darroch, hon. secretary of the New Zealand Navy League War Council, from one of the recipients. He states, inter alia: “On the train, our enthusiastic investigation into our wholly unexpected ‘mystery packets' disclosed a host of well made and thoroughly useful articles. We were all very moved by this very splendid gesture and realised only too well that our feelings would be difficult to put into words. Apart altogether from the downright usefulness of these things we were deeply moved for other reasons. We could see countless homes all over New Zealand, some well-to-do and comfortable, and many indeed, poor and humble. In these homes we saw willing hands busily at work for us. Some of them were young and nimble. Others, dear, white, old and withered; working labouriously with the painful handicap of rheumatism. We saw the few odd shillings, in some cases sorely needed for the knitter’s own personal comfort, dribbling away into the drapers in exchange for good quality wool; all for us. We saw acts of personal sacrifice and tireless work going eagerly on under the cover of complete anonimity.

“The usefulness of the comforts was demonstrated very early in our trip. The blue bag was used by many as a pillow in our journey from Wellington to Auckland. The night was bitterly cold and, believe me, we were glad of those heavy polo-necked sweaters. Everyone was wearing them. On the ship, in the Pacific, we were in cold weather for a long time and once again we were delighted with our mits, balaclavas, pullovers and heavy sox. The man who hasn’t had frequent use for his hussif just isn’t on this ship. Safety pins and string were at a premium and were restored carefully to the hussif after being used for hanging out our washing. Now we are in the Atlantic and although it is summer the wind is bitterly cold and the boys when on watch have still further reason to be very thankful for their navy woollens. Wrapped up in their balaclavas and scarves with their heavy oilskin coats and trousers they remind one of Antarctic explorers.

“In my blue bag there is not one thing that is not very useful to me. This was everyone’s glad discovery. One pair of sox in particular in my lot is the finest I have ever seen. They are grey and of extremely heavy wool and very closely and heavily knitted. I am very proud of them and never tire of proudly exhibiting them. I wish I knew who knitted them. This brings me to another point. All of us felt so very moved by these individual items that we wanted to personally thank the one who knitted the article. Consequently I would suggest that the manufacturer's name and address be attached either temporarily or preferably permanently to each article. This was the case in certain instances and those who got a little personal message and a name and address were ‘as pleased as Punch.' “There may possibly be some who are knitting , who wonder whether their work is useful. Let me say this —many, perhaps most of us have received all sorts of comforts from our own little family circle, nevertheless all of us have found that we can’t have too many of the kind of things we found in that very useful little blue bag. The fact that the heavy sweaters being worn at present all came out of the blue bag speaks for itself. “The Navy League is doing wonder# ful work and I confess few of us realised just how wonderful. We can see that the women behind your banner are sincerely and genuinely helping us. For them there is no shouting from the house-tops —no fanfare of trumpets — no laudatory congratulations—no spectacular demonstrations no social columns in the news but just plain honest effort arising out oi a sincere desire to help and not be heard. Their work may not be seen in New Zealand but believe me, over here it shines brighter than a beacon. We are sincerely grateful to them. Theirs is the real work —the work which warms not only our freezing fingers, ears and toes, but better still our hearts. Please thank them all for us, Mr Darroch, from the bottoms of our hearts.”